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After years in which he became a familiar television presence, al Qaeda's number two leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has "gone dark," according to people who monitor audio and video messages released by the terror group.

Zawahiri has not been seen or heard since December 2009, "the longest gap he has had in nearly six years," according to Ben Venzke of the IntelCenter, which monitors al Qaeda messages for governments, businesses and the media.

A US official said there is "no reason" to believe that Zawahiri has been killed or injured in recent months but that "it is possible" he and other al Qaeda leaders "have new concerns about their security."